Politics, Economics, Culture, and Theology with a Biblical Viewpoint

Tim Tebow Cancels Speech at First Baptist Church of Dallas

The New York Jets backup quarterback has cancelled his appearance at the Baptist mega-church in Dallas. The well-known Christian athlete tweeted a short time ago:

“While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance.

“He continued, “I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!”

The Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Robert Jeffress, has been an outspoken critic of Mitt Romney and suggested in the last campaign that he would prefer to see an orthodox Christian in the White House instead of a Mormon. He has also spoken out against homosexuality and Islam, which has made him a detested name in the politically-correct media.

Undoubtedly there is much that could be said about the star-driven ventures of the evangelical world, and I stand firmly behind critiquing it, however, Tebow’s bailing out of his commitment due to what is perceived to be a strategically wise move for the NFL superstar in unwise. My appreciation for Tebow is known and I can only hope that there are other motives involved, rather than simply avoiding the controversy of associating with a pastor that has in actuality spoken publicly and truthfully about a host of issues over these last years.

Agreed, R.C., which is why I concluded: “…and I can only hope that there are other motives involved, rather than simply avoiding the controversy of associating with a pastor that has in actuality spoken publicly and truthfully about a host of issues over these last years.”

Didn’t Tebow and his mother make a “controversial” pro-life Super Bowl commercial (controversial at least to NARAL and other abortion proponents)? Perhaps he has become more politically correct or there’s some other self serving motivation, but if so, it’s not in keeping with his past life and message which has been incredibly courageous yet gracious in the face of constant vitriol. I cant read Tebow’s mind and don’t know his heart so therefore have no idea why he would abscond but if I had to guess, based on Tebow’s own personal graciousness, it would be that Tebow disagrees with the tone of the pastor’s message and not the message itself. There is certainly a hint of something underneath the words in Tebow’s tweet, so the speculation is not without warrant. Perhaps someone should ask the pastor, but I would hope he would be as unwilling to air dirty laundry as Tebow was.